Here are some tips that should make your lawn lush and healthy while minimizing the need for fertilizers, weed killers and water, and that help to keep those nutrients from getting into the pond.
Tip #1: It isn't necessarily fertilizer that's the solution for a sickly looking lawn
Have your soil tested for pH at the Barnstable County Extension Service. If the pH is too low, the lawn needs lime, not fertilizer.
Tip # 2: Mow high and mow often.
Set your mower to a height of 3 to 4 inches. Longer grass shades the roots and prevents their drying out. The longer grass blades can produce more food that's needed to grow a deep and healthy root system. They also shade upstart weeds, depriving them of the light necessary for their growth. Frequent mowing does not kill grass, as long as the mower is set high. Many weeds, on the other hand, can't survive frequent mowing in the long run.
Tip # 3: Leave the clippings on the lawn.
Clippings are slow-release fertilizer. As the clippings decompose, they will gradually release nutrients back to the soil, thus reducing the need for more fertilization.
Excessive clippings are a problem only if you mow too short or not frequently enough.
Tip # 4: Water infrequently but thoroughly.
Grass roots can grow deeper than most weed roots do, so you want the water to penetrate deep into the soil. Brief watering, even if frequent, doesn’t do the job; in fact, it can be detrimental by encouraging shallow rooting. Put a cup in your sprinkler zone and let an inch of water accumulate in it before turning off the sprinkler. Water again only when the grass blades start to curl.
Tip #5: Pick a 'Cape Cod' seed mix
When selecting grass seed for new lawns or for filling in patches, pick a "Cape Cod" seed mix that contains varieties specially selected for the Cape's climate and soils. Avoid Kentucky bluegrass, which needs more water and fertilizer to thrive on Cape Cod.
Tip #6: Fertilize sparingly, if at all, and only in late fall or very early spring
Grass can grow at lower temperatures than most weeds. To feed only your grass and not the weeds, fertilize in cool weather. Use only slow-release fertilizer, and use it sparingly.
By Eric Davidson
Board Member in the Spotlight
OPET board member Eric Davidson, senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center, was featured on Earthday 2000 on the Op-ed page of the Boston Globe with a letter to the editor entitled "It's the environment, stupid!" (a take-off on Clinton's 1992 campaign slogan "It's the economy, stupid"). Eric writes that in order to keep our prosperity we need to take care the environment is healthy. Eric also is the author of "You Can't Eat GNP. Economics as if Ecology Mattered", a book that looks at the ecological foundations of prosperity. The book is available in book stores; excerpts and a link to on-line vendor can be viewed at The Woods Hole Research Center's site Get your copy signed by the author at the Annual Meeting!
Cross-country Skiing on Oyster Pond, February 2000, Photo by B. RoseEmail OPET
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